Turkey & Cranberry Chili

A festive, fall-leaning chili that brings a little Thanksgiving spirit to the pot. It starts unusually: sugar and vinegar are boiled down into a sweet-tart syrup, then cranberries go in to soften and pop, building a bright base that plays against the savory, spicy chili.

From there, diced turkey, the chili seasonings, and stock go in, and the whole thing braises low and slow in the oven until the turkey is meltingly tender. Oven-braising is gentle on lean turkey, keeping it moist where stovetop cooking might dry it out.

Once it is fall-apart soft, you shred the turkey right into the chili with a fork so it drinks up all the flavor. Serve it with warm tortillas instead of bread and pass sour cream at the table to cool the heat. It is a smart way to use up leftover holiday turkey, too.

Kitchen Tips

• Cook the sugar and vinegar down to a syrupy consistency before adding the cranberries; this concentrates the sweet-tart base.
• Braise low and slow in the oven so the lean turkey turns tender and shreddable instead of drying out.
• Shred the turkey directly into the chili so it absorbs the sauce and the cranberry flavor.
• Pass sour cream and warm tortillas to balance the heat and round out the meal.

Variations

• Use leftover roast turkey, adding it later and simmering just to heat through and shred.
• Stir in beans, corn, or diced tomatoes to bulk it up.
• Adjust the chili spices and add a chopped chipotle for smoky heat.